Friday, July 3, 1998 Published at 16:33 GMT 17:33 UKEntertainmentDead donkey finally droppedThe Globelink News teamDrop the Dead Donkey, the sitcom which dared to reveal the creative petulance and huge egos in a television newsroom, is having the plug pulled.

The comedy, which won widespread praise for incorporating topical jokes in its script, will end after its sixth series, Channel 4 has confirmed. The final episodes are expected to be broadcast in October.

A spokeswoman said: "Channel 4 will be sorry to see the end of Drop the Dead Donkey because it has been such an entertaining and successful show.

"However, the writers felt it had reached the end of its natural life, and they want to move on to other things."

Star launchpad

The show - which is the channel's longest-running comedy - highlighted with pinpoint accuracy the foibles of many journalists, from the gung-ho bloodlust of Damien Day to the on-air preciousness of Sally Smedley.

It has also been a launchpad for the careers of Stephen Tomkinson, the star of BBC ONE drama Ballykissangel, and Neil Pearson, who is now starring in the West End production of Patrick Marber's award-winning play Closer.

The individual successes of the show's cast members had made it difficult for them all to get together for filming, a Channel 4 spokeswoman added.

The team behind the show, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, have been working on a
number of solo projects including the
satires Mr White Goes To Westminster and Eleven Men Against Eleven.